Golf is a sport that requires a player to hit a ball to a target position using a golf club as a hitting tool. The golf club is swung by a golfer to hit a ball. The way a golfer swings his/her golf club directly affects how the club face strikes the ball at impact, and thus, where the golf ball is ultimately hit. Golfers often practice their golf swing to try and ensure that the mechanics of a golf swing that accurately and powerfully hit a golf ball are learned by the golfer and used by the golfer when playing golf. Such golf swing mechanics include a golfer's posture before hitting the ball and a golfer's moving posture when swinging a golf club to hit a golf ball. Such moving posture can include the posture of the golfer's body during back swing, down swing, impact and follow through portions of a golf swing. The goal is to train the muscles of the body to swing the same way each time.
It is often very difficult for golfers to learn how to perform a golf swing that permits the golfer to accurately and powerfully hit a golf ball. Generally, the continuous and rhythmical golf swing motion must be extensively practiced to master such a golf swing. In a proper golf swing a golfer initiates the swing by making a back swing. During the back swing, a golfer pivots his/her hips and rotates about his/her back leg until reaching the top of his/her back swing. The golfer then performs a down swing by swinging the golf club downward, preferably in an arc similar to that of the back swing The down swing is typically performed by transferring the golfer's weight from his/her back leg to his/her front leg while rotating his/her hips to generate club head speed. After the golf club has been swung downwards, the club impacts the golf ball. After impacting the golf ball, the golf club is swung through a follow-through motion while maintaining balance.
An error that often occurs in many golf swings is that the golfer slides his/her hips forward in a lateral direction that reduces the torque generated and, consequently, the power of the down swing. This sliding motion often results in inaccurately hitting the golf ball and or hitting the golf ball a short distance. A golfer may also improperly move his/her feet during the golf swing or improperly dip a shoulder during a portion of the golf swing. Of course, golfers may also have other problems mastering an effective golf swing, such a, for example, too much movement in the upper and/or lower portions of their body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,830,079, 5,762,565, 5,591,090, 5,288,074, 3,698,721 and 3,215,438, disclose examples of golf swing aids that have been used to help a golfer learn a golf swing. Such golf swing aids typically focus on limiting hip sliding, head movement, or both, during practice swings to help a golfer learn a proper golf swing. Such golf swing aids typically fail to permit a golfer to focus on the movement of different parts of his/her body during his/her golf swing. For example, some golf swing aids are merely configured to prevent a golfer from improperly sliding his/her hips forwardly during the downward swing portion of a golf swing. Other golf swing aids are configured to only prevent a golfer from improperly moving his/her back leg during the back swing of the golfer's golf swing. Yet other golf swing aids are only configured to prevent a golfer from moving his/her head when making a golf swing.
Many golf swing aids are also not configured to permit a user to alter the configuration of the golf swing aid to focus on learning the proper motion for different body parts. For example, some golf swing aids are only configured to focus on hip movement during a golf swing and are not capable of being readjusted to focus on foot spacing during the stance of the swing or leg positioning and movement during portions of a golf swing.
There is a need for a golf swing aid that will teach a proper stance, proper hip movement, proper back and front leg movement, and the proper movement of other body parts that will help a golfer learn the proper movements of all portions of a golf swing. There is also a need for a golf swing aid that is capable of helping a golfer practice his/her golf swing to address different problems the golfer may be experiencing with different portions of his/her golf swing or the movement of different body parts during the different portions of his/her golf swing.
The present invention is directed towards overcoming one or more of the above-mentioned problems.